About us:

Fantasio Havanese breeds healthy, happy puppies. Sound structure and temperament are extremely important to us, whether a puppy is a potential show prospect or a much-loved addition to someone's family. All of our Havanese dogs and Havanese puppies are AKC Registered. All of our puppies are breed from AKC Champion blood lines. The main focus of Fantasio Havanese breeding program is to raise the healthiest most gorgeous Havanese puppies available.  All of our Havanese puppies are AKC certified with a one year health guarantee. All of our dogs are examined by a board certified Ophthalmologist yearly and then registered with Cerf (Canine Eye Research Foundation).

 

Characteristics:

The Havanese is truly one of the most delightful of the small breeds. They are exceptionally intelligent and quick-witted. Their love of attention comes from their adorable little "show-off" natures. They are curious and busy constantly. They are natural clowns and enjoy interludes of rowdy, madcap play. The Havanese expression tells you that they miss nothing going on around them; they love to sit somewhere high -- especially on the back of sofas and chairs. They never let strangers approach unwelcomed. They thrive on human companionship, and are at their best as a participating member of the family. They love children and will play tirelessly with them at any game in which children delight. If raised near water or exposed to water at an early age, they become powerful swimmers, diving in and out of the water like tiny seals. The Havanese also have a natural herding instinct. In Cuba, they were used to herd the family chickens and geese.

 

Description:

They are non-shedding and odorless and their soft coat is easy to keep with frequent brushing or combing and periodic bathing. The coat ranges from a slight wave to curly. The color of coats range in shades of white, cream, champagne, gold, chocolate, silver, blue, and black or a combination of these colors.

 

History:

The Havanese is part of the Bichon canine family of small breeds which probably originated in the Mediterranean area in pre-Christian times. All Bichons are descended from the same bloodlines that produced the Barbet, or water spaniel; the Poodle; the Portuguese Water Dog; and others. The Barbet or "Barbichon" -- later shortened to Bichon canine family -- consists of several distinct breeds, including the Havanese. In order of popularity in the U.S., these breeds are: 1) Maltese, 2) Bichon Frise, 3) Havanese, 4) Lowchen, 5) Coton de Tulear, and 6) Bolognese. During the days of the Spanish empire, Bichons travelled to Cuba with sea captains who used them as presents for the women of Cuban households. By gaining entry into wealthy Hispanic homes, which were otherwise closed to outsiders, the captains were able to establish lucrative trading relationships with rich Cuban families. Once in Cuba, the Havanese (Habeneros in Spanish) lived exclusively in the mansions of the highest social class of people. Havanese were never raised commercially or sold but were sometimes given as precious gifts to a friend or someone who had performed a valuable service. Like the Victorian-age wealthy Hispanic women who owned them, the dogs were not seen in the streets or public areas. They lived in the rooms and interior courtyards of their tropical homes and occasionally rode in carriages with their owners. The Havanese found its way to Europe where it became very popular and was recognized by the European Kennel Club. It was known in England as the "White Cuban." Queen Anne is said to have admired a troupe of performing dogs that danced to music in almost human fashion. As happened to many other dog breeds, the Havanese' popularity waned over the course of time. For awhile they were used in circuses as trick dogs throughout Europe, but eventually they became almost extinct -- even in their native Cuba. Only three families are known to have left Cuba with their Havanese during the political turmoil of the 1950s and 1960s. It is assumed that by that time there might not have been very many of these dogs kept by anyone. These three exiled families worked alone in Florida and in Costa Rica for over a decade to preserve the breed.

 

Our web site and kennel are not associated with the Fantasio family name. We pay tribute and honor the Fantasio family, and others who made great sacrifices to save the wonderful

Havanese breed that we enjoy today.

 

Click here for more history and photo’s from Delaware Valley Havanese Club

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